TS6 
left the camp alone, almost destitute of 
money, and with very little baggage, to 
undertake a journey of near 400 leagues 
overland to Pondicherry. He had the 
good look not to fallinto the hands of the 
English, and his natural fortitude and re- 
solution surmounted every thing. He 
crossed a country overrun with tigers, 
though he had scarcely any weapon of de- 
fence, and joined the advanced guard of 
acarayan of 6000 Fakirs, who were going 
on a pilgrimage to the famous pagoda of 
Jagrenunt, and who lived only by plun- 
der. He presented himself to them with 
such an air of assurance, that they not 
only desisted from plundering him, but 
granted him a passport, that he might not 
be molested by their comrades. After 
100 day’s journey across the burning sand 
of a country, never before attempted by 
any European, surrounded by every kind 
of danger, yet never failing to visit and 
inspect every pagoda and place worthy of 
vattention ; he at, Jength reached Pondi- 
cherry, where the report of his death had 
been received, and he forgot all bis trou- 
bles and fatigues in the embraces of one 
of his brothers, who had just arrived there 
from Europe to be employed in the 
Company’s Civil Service. Here he pro- 
cured a place for him under himself at 
the settlement at Surat, and they embark- 
-ed together for the coast of Malabar, 
The vessel having put into Mahé, Anque- 
til resolved to visit the country, and pro- 
weeded to Coliour, Goa, and Aurenga- 
bad, as far as the Mahratta country. 
Atlength he arrived at Surat, where he ex- 
pected to find the treasure he had so long 
been in search of. aA 
Here again he had many difficulties 
to encounter, before he could over- 
come the scruples and prejudices of 
the priests, who regarded the communi- 
cation of their writings and doctrines to 
persons of a different religion as nothing 
less than profanation, However, his zeal 
‘and perseverance surmounted every ob- 
stacle, and he even obtained admittance 
into the number of the disciples of Des- 
tours. ‘By an intense application he soon 
became sufliciently acquainted with the 
-geveral works from those languages. 
He began, in March 1759, with a voca- 
-bulary of the Peblwi, a work which no 
-Eyropean before him bad even thought 
of undertaking. The governor of Pondi- 
cherry, to whom he had communicated 
«this successful commencement, express- 
-ed his satisfaction by doubling his salary, 
which even then did not exceed S000 
livres ; yet with this trifling sum he was 
Memoirs of Anguetil Duperron. 
Zend and Pehlwi, to, be able to translate’ 
[Sept. 15 
enabled, by economy and sobriety, to 
defray the expences of his journies in 
India, to pay for the lessons he received, 
and even to purchase a number of manu- 
scripts, with which he hoped to enrich 
Ins native country. A few days after he had 
commenced his translation of the vocabu- 
lary, he also began to translate the Ven- 
didad from the Zend and Pehlwi texts, un 
der the immediate direction of Destours. 
‘This work was finished ina little less than 
three months; but the intense application 
brought on a dangerous illness, and for 
several weeks he was obliged to reline 
quish all kind of study. His health was 
scarcely restored when he was involved 
ina fresh misfortune, by an accident to 
which literary and studious characters 
are rarely exposed. He was publicly at- 
tacked in the streets of Surat by one of 
his countrymen, who was irritated by the 
propagation of false reports, of which 
Anquetil was supposed to be the author, 
They were armed, and our author being 
obliged to defend himself, had the luck, 
or rather misfortune, to give a mortal 
blow to his antagonist, alter having re- 
ceived himself five wounds. Hj life was 
long in danger, and it was several months 
before he recovered. As soon as his 
health would permit, he undertook, with 
the aid of an Arabic interpreter, to trans- 
late several Zend and Pehlwi books, and 
in a short time he acquired so complete 
a knowledge of the Persian language and 
history, that be was enabled to finish the 
remainder of his work without assistance. 
It was now no longer possible for a mas- 
ter toconceal any thing from a student 
who had prolited so well by his instrac- 
tions, and who had discovered all the 
inysteries of his religion in so complete # 
manner, that he was regarded as a pra- 
phet. Anquetil, at the risk of his life, 
had be been discovered, was introduced 
to the sacred fire, which was kept in the 
most secret part of the temple, and 
beheld the various rites, of which be- 
fore he had only obtained an imperfect 
idea. 
Having satisfied his curiosity, and at- 
tained the principal object of his voyage, 
he then proposed to study the language, 
antiquities, and sacred laws of the Hin- 
doos. He had already procured several 
Sanscrit vocabularies, and thought of re- 
pairing to Benares, that he might obtain 
Instruction from the Bramins, who in that 
country were reckoned the most learned - 
men of the east. The taking of Pondi- 
-cherry destroyed all his projects, and he 
was now intent on only returning to Bus © 
In consequence of the unfortus 
De 
yope. 
